Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-28
AS a DISTRIBUTING CENTER.

| The men under whose leadership For
Worth has been transformed into bust
ling little city in ten years from mere
prairie hamlet, resting under the shadow
cast by peighboring towns already in
possession of railroads, telegraphs, daily
newspapers and all the other belongings
of prospective cities, have reason to con-
graduate themselves on the foundations
laid. The one prime essential to mum.
cipal and commercial supremacy is dis
tributing facilities. When Fort Worth
secured its first railroad in 1875,
Denison, Sherman, Dallas and Waco were
embryonic cities, and had for years been
possessed of the factors that promote
trade and growth. The question with
the few men in Fort Worth was whether
they would be content to permit the VIII
lage TO remain mere railroad station Or,
from such humble beginning, and with
such late start IN the race
against such heavy odds,
essay to build here great mart Of trade.
The resolve was to build city, and from
the moment the resolution was taken,
every effort wss made to supply "the
Fort" witt distributing facilities. The
result is known: From one railroad out
let In 1880, the city's arteries of COM
merce have grown to ten now in opera
ton; the eleventh will be added before
the first day of January, and three more
will be added before the close Of 1888.
The effects of this grand result sre
naturally felt in the wholesale trade Of
the city, to which attention was directed
by THE GAZETTE yesterday. Pursuing
this subject, some of the wholesale traders
of the city were requested to add their
testimony to the assertions of THE GA
zETTE, and their statements will be found
below. Following this expansion of
wholesale trade will come manufacturers
and agencies that appreciate the i'm
portence of distributing facili-
ties which reach, now, every section
of the state, and with these
will come that increase of retail trs ffic
SO essential to the general prosperity.
Il WAS to be expected that the first
effects of converting Fort Worth into
grand railroad center would be felt by
the wholesalers, the reason for which is
found in few facts here con-
denged: In the territory tributary
to Fort Worth by rail there
was in 1860 population of 2Os. 5000; in
1870, of S9l, 900; in 1880, OF 672,oOo, and
st this time not less than 100000. Last
year this territory produced rs, 900 bales
of cotton, and contained 1907, 1913 head
of cattle, and had taxable wealth
amounting to 1921, 6l9,1o5. Hav-
ing provided the means to reach
this territory and lay it under
tribute, the effect followed the cause, and
the wholesale trade OF Fort Worth was
never better, despite two years Of drouth
in that section upon which some so fool
ishly imagine the plucky wholesalers of
this city solely depended. But THE
GAZETTE adds the testimony of men who
are In the business and know whereof
they speak:
81. W. Williams & Co.: Our trade
during the past two years has increased
from 10 to 20 per cent, which hiss nearly
all come from the east, as the western
trade has remained about stationary. We
sell goods right along east of Dallas, and
make some sales in the city Of Dallas.
w. F. Lake: Our increase in trade al
together in the last two years has been
30 per cent. We have gained great
many customers from the southeast, along
the country trsversed by the Houston and
Texas Central road. Our trade has, Of
course. extended itself in the northwest,
bat 1t can be safely said that one-third Of
our total increase of 80 per cent. comes
from the country east of Fort Worth
Martin Brown Co.: We may safely say
our increase has been 20 per Cent. in the
last two years. That is an inside esti-
mate. A great deal Of that increase has
been taken from territory tributary to
Dallas. We added two travellers for the
eastern custom st the first of this year.
Our trade extends beyond Dallas as far
east as Mineola, GAINESVILLE and Terrell.
and south to Mexia.
Bateman Bros: Our trade altogether
in the past two years has increased so
per cent. OF this, Is per cent. has. come
from the territory tributary to Dallas.
We sell east as far as Terrell and south
and north Of Dallas. About sll our east
ern trade has been gained in the last two